(1) These Procedures must be followed in the event of any emergency which requires partial or total evacuation of buildings within the University. (2) These Procedures apply to all University buildings with the exception of organisational units, as specified in the fire and evacuation plans, which have site-specific procedures in place. Non-University owned buildings staff are to follow procedures as set out by building owner e.g. RBWH tenancies. (3) These Fire and Emergency Evacuation Procedures provide for: (4) Evacuation from buildings may be necessary as the result of fire, explosion, chemical leak, structural fault, equipment failure or bomb threat. These Procedures have been prepared principally for fire emergencies, but they are suitable for use in other emergencies. (5) Specific instructions based on these Procedures should be prepared for each University building. The features of a particular building, its occupants or fire alarm system may require modification of these Procedures. Enquiries in relation to these Procedures should be made to the Occupational Health and Safety Unit. (6) The roles for coordination for Emergency Evacuation Procedures are outlined below: (7) The Emergency Coordinator at St Lucia Campus is the Manager of Security. (8) The Deputy Emergency Coordinator at St Lucia campus is the Fire Safety Officer. (9) In the absence of these officers, the Security Shift Superintendent will designate a specific person to undertake the role of Emergency Coordinator. (10) The Emergency Coordinator at Gatton Campus is the Security Supervisor or nominee. (11) The Manager of Security will ensure that emergency coordinators are appointed for sites other than those covered by the Security section at St Lucia or by the Security Supervisor at Gatton Campus. (12) At sites other than St Lucia, staff should be advised by their supervisor of the emergency coordinator for the site. (13) The Emergency Coordinator is responsible for overall coordination of actions in connection with Emergency Evacuation Procedures. He/she is responsible for the following. (14) Before Fire or Emergency: (15) In the case of Fire or Emergency: (16) A Building Warden and deputies should be appointed for each building. The number of wardens is determined by the fire safety officer using the fire safety assessment. If the building is occupied by only one organisational unit, the head of that unit should make this appointment. Where more than one organisational unit occupies a building, the appointment should be made by the appropriate Executive Dean or relevant Senior Executive. (17) The Building Warden and deputies should be physically fit and responsible members of staff with personalities that will give confidence in an emergency. Their normal work location should preferably be on or close to the ground floor and their duties should not require frequent absences from the building. The Building Warden should ensure that either the Building Warden or deputy is available at all times during normal working hours. (18) The Building Warden, during emergency situations, will be in control of the occupants of the whole building until the arrival of the Fire Service Senior Officer. It is the Building Warden's responsibility to do the following. (19) Before Fire or Emergency: (20) In the case of Fire or Emergency: (21) Floor Wardens and their deputies should be appointed for each floor of the building. In buildings where features of the building indicate the necessity, floors should be divided into areas for each of which an Area Warden should be appointed. (22) The general selection criteria for Floor and Area Wardens and their deputies are the same as for the Building Wardens and their deputies and the appointments should be made by the Head of Organisational Unit or Executive Dean or relevant Senior Executive. (23) Before Fire or Emergency, Floor and Area Wardens should: (24) Additional wardens are to be appointed where required to assist the Floor or Area Warden. This should be on the ratio of at least one to every 40 people employed on the floor, or in the area, and take account of the need to have at least one Warden from each organisational unit on the floor. (25) In the case of Fire or Emergency: (26) It should be emphasised that the primary role of wardens is not to combat fire and emergencies, but to ensure, as far as practicable, the safety of occupants and their orderly evacuation from emergencies. (27) Evacuation procedures for buildings should include procedures for caring for persons with a disability. (28) For the purposes of evacuation procedures, people should be considered as disabled if they are unable to evacuate the building without assistance, or if their time to exit the building would be much greater than the average building occupant. (29) Wardens should be aware of persons with a disability within their area. In the case of permanent occupants of the building who are disabled, wardens should make a record of their name and their location to ensure that assistance can be rendered should evacuation be necessary. It will be necessary to periodically update this information. (30) Arrangements should be made for a person to be assigned to assist each disabled person in an emergency. This person should be someone working in close proximity to the disabled person and should assist the disabled person to a predetermined "safe" area. The Fire Service will determine the method of evacuating disabled persons from safe areas. (31) Where disabled students or visitors may be present, procedures should be implemented so that nominated staff can assist such persons (32) During evacuation, disabled persons should be assisted to "safe" areas which should be adjacent to fire isolation stairs. Where possible, procedures should provide for alternative "safe" areas. If no "safe" area is available, it may be necessary to move disabled people into fire-isolated stairways. This should not be done until other people have been evacuated so as not to impede a smooth evacuation. (33) The Floor Wardens should inform the Building Warden of the number of disabled persons, the location and the nature and extent of their disability at the completion of the general evacuation of the floor. The Building Warden should advise the Fire Service, on its arrival, of the situation on each floor. The Fire Service will determine what further action should be taken for the safety of disabled persons and whether lifts can safely be used for their evacuation. (34) It is important that disabled persons participate in the regular fire drills conducted for the building. (35) When an evacuation alarm is sounded, any person in charge of a class, seminar or other meeting should instruct students and visitors to proceed quietly and quickly to the nearest exit - which should be nominated. When all students and visitors have left the room, the person in charge should leave and close the door to prevent spread of fire and smoke. (36) Lecturers should ensure that at the commencement of semester, or before commencing seminars or other meetings, the lecturer or convenor should advise those present of the exits to use in the event of a fire or other emergency and the nominated assembly area. (37) Before Fire or Emergency: (38) In the case of Fire or Emergency: (39) If you hear the evacuate mode of the fire alarm or when instructed to evacuate by the Floor or Area Warden: (40) In order to prevent injury and possible panic during evacuation: (41) Outside of normal working hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday): (42) Fire and emergency plans are displayed throughout buildings in prominent area normally at all exits, lift lobbies and foyers. The placement of such floor plans is managed by the Fire Safety Officer. The evacuation plans show:Fire Emergency Evacuation Procedure
Section 1 - Purpose and Objectives
Section 2 - Definitions, Terms, Acronyms
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Term
Definition
FSMP
Fire Safety Management Plan
Emergency
An event, actual or imminent, which endangers or threatens to endanger life, property or the environment, and which requires a significant and coordinated response.
Section 3 - Procedures Scope/Coverage
Section 4 - Procedures Statement
Section 5 - Emergency Organisation
Emergency Coordinator
Appointment
Responsibilities
Building Wardens
Appointment
Responsibilities
Floor and Area Wardens
Appointment
Responsibilities
Section 6 - Assistance for Persons with a Disability
Section 7 - Evacuations of Students and Visitors
Section 8 - Action by Individual Occupants
Top of PageSection 9 - Emergency Evacuation Information
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